- Astrid Buffett was heard at “summer camp for billionaires” complaining about $4 coffee, the New York Post reports.
- US coffee shops charge an average of nearly $5 per cup of coffee, according to a previous Insider report.
- Astrid’s husband, Warren Buffett, is known to be frugal. He’s the 7th-richest person in the world.
Astrid Buffett, the wife of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, was overheard at Allen & Co’s annual event in Sun Valley, Idaho, griping to resort employees about the price of coffee, the New York Post reports.
At the so-called “summer camp for billionaires,” 77-year-old Astrid Buffett was heard complaining about having to pay $4 for a cup of coffee, the Post said. Buffett’s wife reportedly said she “could get a pound of coffee” for the same price elsewhere.
Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is worth about $115 billion and is the seventh-richest person in the world on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. But the Oracle of Omaha also has been known to be frugal. Bill Gates, a longtime friend of the 92-year-old, once recalled the billionaire pulling out a handful of coupons to pay for a McDonald’s meal.
And unlike many billionaires, Buffett’s home is relatively understated: He lives in the same one in Omaha that he bought in in 1958 for about $31,500.
Perhaps that’s why the $4 coffee was apparently such a shock for Astrid Buffett.
Back in Sun Valley, The Post reported that $4 is the cheapest coffee available at the resort’s cafe, Konditorei, which serves pastries, coffee, and brunch, according to its website. It is one of a handful of restaurants at the resort in Sun Valley that are accommodating some of the most powerful people in the world for the annual summit.
While resorts are often known for offering expensive food options, US coffee shops actually charge an average of $4.90 for a cup of coffee, according to NPD Group data. Meanwhile, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics places the average cost for a pound of coffee at about $6.09.
A spokesperson for Buffett did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.
Warren Buffett and his second wife, Astrid, have been married since 2006. Astrid, previously Astrid Menks, was working as a waitress at the French Cafe in Omaha when she first met the billionaire’s first wife, which is how she became acquainted with Warren.
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